Motorheadphones Iron Fist pictures and hands-on

It's time to rock our with your, er, headphones out, as Motorheadphones are here for all you guitar-loving rockers.

It's an interesting concept, and one that flies in the face of rapper-endorsed 'phones: the Iron Fist headphones that Pocket-lint got to test out - in the company of Motorhead's guitarist Phil Campbell, no less - have been built from the ground up and are designed to bring the best out of guitar-laden rock tracks.

We know, we know, the name is a marketeer's dream, right? But it's more than just a clever play on words, as the Motorheadphones - at least the Iron Fist model we had a listen to - sound bloomin' excellent for the price point. They're only £129, but sound and feel like they're a cut above.

As much as they're designed for guitar music, we were particularly pleased - surprised, even - at how well these over-ears dealt with a whole variety of music. So we went in hard. System Of A Down hard for a bit of a wall-to-wall audio assault. Followed by a dash of Silverchair (from their good old days) and then to the mellower chimes of Counting Crows. Talk about testing for the right crowd, eh?

But not only did the Iron Fist 'phones sound top notch throughout that variety of rock - loud, stomping, but well separated at each frequency level and with enough guitar kick to make Jack Black squeal - they sounded, in our opinion, just as good for bass-heavy dance music too.

We loaded up S.P.Y's debut album What The Future Holds, which showed off just how deftly these Motorheadphones can handle bass, right down into the very low frequencies. We didn't expect that, but the Iron Fist sure packs a bass punch that, although not the product's centrepiece, does sit perfectly in the mix. Even with the iPod maxed out to full volume there was no crunching or distortion beyond what the tracks were supposed to sound like.

Design-wise the all-black finish is stripped back to the bare essentials. They look like tough, rocking' headphones, though the massive Motorhead emblem and logos on both earcups might be a bit much if you're not a typical fan. Cooler than Skullcandy, we'd wager, but targeted at an altogether different audience.

The box also includes both 1-metre and 2.5-metre detachable cables which are durable and woven to stop tangling.

Tough on the outside, soft and gushy on the inside - just like any rocker, really - the Iron Fist's black velvet-coated earcups are incredibly comfortable. They sit tight to the ear, but not too tight, and from the second they're on the noggin they feel great. Sound isolation, while good, isn't going to compete with closed-cup headphones, however, so external sounds can affect the listening experience a little.

We loaded up S.P.Y's debut album What The Future Holds, which showed off just how deftly these Motorheadphones can handle bass, right down into the very low frequencies. We didn't expect that, but the Iron Fist sure packs a bass punch that, although not the product's centrepiece, does sit perfectly in the mix. Even with the iPod maxed out to full volume there was no crunching or distortion beyond what the tracks were supposed to sound like.

Design-wise the all-black finish is stripped back to the bare essentials. They look like tough, rocking' headphones, though the massive Motorhead emblem and logos on both earcups might be a bit much if you're not a typical fan. Cooler than Skullcandy, we'd wager, but targeted at an altogether different audience.

The box also includes both 1-metre and 2.5-metre detachable cables which are durable and woven to stop tangling.

Tough on the outside, soft and gushy on the inside - just like any rocker, really - the Iron Fist's black velvet-coated earcups are incredibly comfortable. They sit tight to the ear, but not too tight, and from the second they're on the noggin they feel great. Sound isolation, while good, isn't going to compete with closed-cup headphones, however, so external sounds can affect the listening experience a little.

The one massive gripe we have with the whole range of over-ear Motorheadphones? They're too big and aren't adjustable. Bombheads and beehive-bearing bonnets might not find that an issue, but for a wider majority it'll feel like an unforgivable design omission.

Overall though it's been a while since we've been so impressed with a pair of over-ear headphones at such a price point. Motorheadphones, from what we've seen, are seriously good - and that's irrelevant of whether you like rock music or not.

These are the ace of spades amid a pack of self-proclaimed kings. Rawk on.

Gaming geek, semi-failed cyclist, big screen and movie lover and fan of both big beats and beer. As the former Reviews Editor at What Digital Camera, self-confessed camera geek Mike has seen pretty much every digital camera that's been made. His work has featured in a variety of well-respected titles, including Wired, TechRadar, Professional Photographer and many more.